Shelley
Short
Captain Wild Horse (Rides The Heart of
Tomorrow) (HUSH Records)
After recording Oh Say Little Dogies, Why?
(Keep Recordings, 2003) in the desert of New Mexico and the
industrial area of Portland, Oregon, Shelley Short left art
school in the Pacific Northwest and headed eastward to Chicago
for no good reason. Pressed in limited quantity, Oh Say
Little Dogies, Why? reached an extensive musical network,
building critical momentum along the way.
Seeking a richer, more complex sound for her next album, Captain
Wild Horse (Rides the Heart of Tomorrow), Short began
writing songs before and immediately after her move across
the country. Inspired by her love of snow and rain, her love
for people, and even by Marlon Brando’s character “Terry”
from the movie On The Waterfront, the album is tinted
with the tones of reflection and nostalgia. Short quickly
pulled together a band in her new hometown, first recruiting
bassist Andy Rader (Can Ky Ree, Gypsy Garage Combo, Pine Top
Seven) after seeing him perform at The Hideout in Chicago.
Through friend M. Ward she met violinist Tiffany Kowalski
(Bright Eyes, M. Ward touring band, Mayday). Recordist and
drummer Jamie Carter, soon completed the line up. (Captain
Wild Horse was laid to tape at Carter’s studio, Carterco
Recording.)
What had modest beginnings with guitar and drums sessions
in an attic a snowy walk’s distance from Short’s
residence, soon picked up momentum with successful shows in
Chicago and the Midwest. And, like a proverbial snowball,
the recording project collected guest performances from the
likes of Rachel Blumberg (Decemberists, Norfolk and Western,
M. Ward touring band) on drums and Cory Gray (Desert City
Soundtrack) on trumpet.
Alternately dramatic and humble, dynamic and hushed, Short's
ethereal style is full of mystery and portent. Her intimate
voice and sincere delivery lend her often dark and personal
songs a sense of substance and caprice, gained in some measure
from early influences: Ron Davies, Roger Miller, Bob Dylan,
Jimmie Rodgers, and Joni Mitchell.
Shelley Short will be touring in support of the release of
Captain Wild Horse (Rides the Heart of Tomorrow) during
the winter of 2006.
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